OU Kosher Staff

Cholov Yisroel Ricotta Production/First Exclusively-OU Cholov Yisroel Product Ever

On Sunday evening, November 25th, I joined Dr. Simcha Katz, Chairman of the OU’s Joint Kashrus Commission, Rabbi Avrohom Juravel, head of OU Kashrus Technical Services, and a group of senior OU Kashrus staff for a special kashering and production at a well-established ricotta cheese company. The evening’s protocol was to kasher the cheese facility’s cholov stam equipment and to supervise an overnight production of cholov Yisroel ricotta for an OU-certified ‘heimishe‘ manufacturer of upscale Italian specialty products.

Glycerine and Detergent Issues

1) For those RFR’s whose plants need Kosher for Passover Glycerine be advised that Procter & Gamble is now producing a non-Passover Glycerine that is named: Superol Kosher Glycerine not for Passover (KNP). This product is now being sold bulk, and will soon be sold in drums also. 2) The OU certifies some glycerine and […]

Identifying Opportunities in the U.S. Food Market: A Seminar for Trade Consulates

Presented by The Food Institute & The Orthodox Union; A Seminar for Trade Consulates

OU Kosher to Send Experts to Smaller Communities

OU Kosher today announced an exciting and much-needed new initiative to respond to the kashrut needs and questions of Jewish communities throughout North America, particularly of smaller ones distant from major Jewish metropolitan areas.

OU Sends Free Kosher Kidz Video to Jewish Schools

Here is a recipe for a tasty video that has just been released by OU Kosher:

OU Kosher Coming to Yeshiva for a Day: Edmonton, Canada

OU Kosher is No Laughing Matter (So why am I still laughing three days later?)

Rabbis Stone and Bendelstein of OU Kosher were invited to visit the frozen chosen of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada for a full-day seminar on December 25, 2007. I can’t help but imagine what they were thinking coming here. Is Edmonton really a frozen wasteland? Do we live in igloos and use dogsleds for transportation? You must be kidding – Edmonton in December?

U.S. News & World Report: Is Kosher Food Safer?

Not only Jews look for the kosher symbol on food these days. In a surprising turn of events, “kosher” has become the most popular claim on new food products, trouncing “organic” and “no additives or preservatives,” according to a recent report. A noteworthy 4,719 new kosher items were launched in the United States last year—nearly double the number of new “all natural” products, which placed second in the report, issued last month by Mintel, a Chicago-based market research firm.

For Goodness Sakes: Takara Sake USA Bridges Cultural Divide by Becoming OU Kosher

Anytime you take on the task of persuading one culture that has its own treasured traditions to embrace the tradition of another distinctly different culture, you had better buckle in for the ride, as it is bound to be a long and bumpy road. The people at Takara Sake USA know this in a way that only first-hand experience can teach, as it is exactly what they have been doing since their main brand of sake, Sho Chiku Bai, was introduced into the American market.
Established in 1982 in Berkeley, California, Takara Sake USA is now the top selling producer of sake (Japanese “rice wine”) in the United States. The superior water obtained from pure Sierra Nevada Mountains snow melt and premium rice grown in the fertile Sacramento Valley combine perfectly with the San Francisco Bay Area’s moderate climate to create ideal conditions for sake production. It is a recipe for successful sake-making that leaves no wonder as to why Takara Sake USA has captured the heart, and discerning palate, of America.

At Takara, the Traditional and the Modern Combine to Produce High Quality Sake

Although the production facility at Takara Sake is modern, the process for making sake is traditional. Sake is rice wine, and to develop the delicate flavor profile that reflects high quality sake, considerable care must be given to maintaining the long-perfected methods that Takara Sake brought over from Japan.
The process starts out with steamed rice, which is fermented using a Japanese method that induces the rice grains to yield desired flavor notes. Traditional sake does not have any additional flavors other than those native to rice. The finished product is crisp, clean, and powerful. Takara Sake has added to its traditional sake product line apple, lychee, and other flavors.

Keeping it Kosher in Sunnyside

SUNNYSIDE — The way Rabbi Yitzchok Gallor walks through Sunnyside’s Valley Processing plant, he easily could be mistaken for a manager. He checks temperatures, checks the plant’s equipment and points out any inconsistencies to the company’s owners. While Gallor is not an employee of Valley Processing, he could be called its most important customer. He […]